Board of Trustees News

Oregon Tech Announces Approval for Independent Governing Board

Apr 04, 2014

Oregon State Board of Higher Education approved the request for the university to establish its own independent Board of Trustees to govern Oregon Tech.

Oregon Institute of Technology President Chris Maples announced today that the Oregon State Board of Higher Education approved the request for the university to establish its own independent Board of Trustees to govern Oregon Tech.

“It truly is a historic day for Oregon Tech,” Maples said. “I look forward to working with the current and future State Board of Higher Education and the Chancellor’s Office in the transition process over the coming months.”

The university’s decision followed an extensive outreach effort, in which Oregon Tech conducted a thorough community-engagement process with students, faculty, staff, alumni, and friends of the university. As a result of those reviews, a great consensus was towards an independent board for Oregon Tech.

As stated within President Maples’ letter requesting an independent board, “…we have conducted a thorough fiscal analysis, including the cost of supporting a board, and are confident that the change in governance will help us grow and prosper. We also have revised our strategic and academic plans and are confident that we can meet our enrollment goals and Achievement Compact outcomes over the next 10 years.”

“This has been the culmination of an enormous amount of effort from everyone associated with our university. I am extremely grateful for their hard and effective labors. Now our work begins on implementing our own Board.”

Among the responsibilities of the Oregon Institute of Technology Board of Trustees will be establishing policies for all aspects of the university’s operations; overseeing tuition and fees; guiding academic programs; approving the university’s budget for submission to the state; and appointing and employing Oregon Tech’s president in consultation with the governor.

Founded in Klamath Falls in 1947, Oregon Institute of Technology is one of seven universities in the Oregon University System, and the only public institute of technology in the Pacific Northwest. Oregon Tech provides degree programs in engineering and health technologies, management, communication, and applied sciences that prepare students to be effective participants in their professional, public, and international communities through hands-on learning. Oregon Tech has a full-service, residential campus in Klamath Falls and an urban, industry-focused campus in Wilsonville. Visit www.oit.edu to learn more about Oregon Institute of Technology.